The Sound of Broken Ribs

All Things Lead to the End #2

by Edward Lorn

Lei Duncan has it all: the ideal life, the perfect career, a loving husband. What more could someone ask for? It is with this in mind that Lei takes her morning run.

Belinda Walsh has just lost it all: her home, her husband, her sanity. Everything she’s known to be true is a lie. It is with this in mind that she goes looking for something—or someone—to destroy.

When the lives of two strangers intersect, something will be born of the connection. For one of these two women, the truth of the world will shift and morph into something powerful and dangerous. A darkness of the mind. A rip in sanity.

And something will peek through that darkness, beckoned by the sound of broken ribs.

Genres: Horror, Supernatural

248 pages, Hardcover

Published July 1, 2017

About the author

Edward Lorn (E. to most) is a reader, writer, and content creator. He's been writing for fun since the age of six, and writing professionally since 2011. He can be found haunting the halls of Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.

E. lives in Alabama with his wife and two children. He is currently working on his next novel.

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Belinda Walsh's husband leaves her homeless and penniless, she goes out looking to ruin someone else and runs down writer Lei Duncan. Only Lei Duncan lives and isn't in the mood to be ruined.

The Lorn hit me up to read an ARC of this and I was game. After all, he's never let me down before. This books kicks the Lornography up several notches.

The Sound of Broken Ribs is a horror novel about loss, revenge and pain. If you had the chance to get revenge upon someone that wrecked you life, would you do it? How would you go about it?

Edward Lorn's writing has always reminded me of a young Stephen King's: lean, evocative, and powerful. Actually, this reminds me of Stephen King in another way. Lei Walsh is run over while running along the road.

Anyway, the writing is lean and mean and the twists cut right to the bone. Every time another twist hit me like a speeding car, I'd look at the number of pages left and wonder "What the hell else can happen to these characters?" Sure enough, worse things were always lurking around the curve.

Lei's road to recovery and revenge was painful. I even felt sorry for Belinda's hit and run ass. This book is one calamity after another and almost impossible to put down.

I can't praise this book enough. If I hadn't already anointed Edward Lorn the Future of Horror, I would with this book. Five out of five stars.

* You can buy The Sound of Broken Ribs here.

[Karl · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of a number of interesting aspects of Edward Lorn's novel titled "The Sound of Broken Ribs" is how the story is told from an alternating set of personal viewpoints. The main interplay is between Lia Duncan, writer, jogger, wife and Belinda Walsh damaged, vindictive, bad driver.

When Belinda's life falls apart in a matter of minutes, thru what seems to be no fault of her own, all she wants to do is hurt someone else. She randomly chooses Lia, whom she runs over with her car while Lia is out for her morning jog. Lia nearly dies. During Lia's recovery she hires a female private detective named Jack Kennedy to track down the person who hit her. Also on the hunt is the town's female sheriff.

Although much of the story takes place in Lorn's small town Ohio setting, many of the characters would not be out of place amongst Edward Lee's idiosyncratic backwoods inbred losers. Yet Mr. Lorn injects into the story's mix the "Spawn of Pain" that moves the story forward.

Filled with violence, pathos, and intriguingly good story telling, be forewarned, lives will be lost and blood will be spilled.

This hardcover book is limited to 55 copies and is signed by Edward Lorn.

[Mort · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good horror.

Throughout the book, I kept flashing back to a scene in a movie I hadn't even thought about in years.

Now, if I were younger, I may have been more tech savvy and had an idea how to put up one of those flashing images - I think they call them Meme's - to show you exactly what I was thinking about. So, lacking the youth and the interest to figure it out, you will have to settle for a description - and just because I can, I'm gonna call it a Youyou - of that scene. Feel free to Google the scene, you're allowed.

The movie SHAFT starring Samuel L. Jackson and Christian Bale had a scene where Shaft had just shot and killed the brother of a gangster called ? Peoples (I think). So Peoples jumps out of the car, walks down the street toward Shaft and, while repeatedly stabbing himself in the chest, screams: 'You best kill me, motherfucker, you best kill me...'

Here's what to expect from the book:
Two women - one happy and living an ideal life, and the other having lost everything - will cross paths on the wrong day at the wrong time...depending who you ask.
One will nearly kill the other when she runs her over with her car, because she wanted to ruin someone.
But this will give birth to something dark, something beyond sanity...
Will the survivor have her revenge?

-------------------------------------------------------

Okay, I'm going to throw another movie reference out there...
Remember the scene in the movie FIGHT CLUB where Edward Norton repeatedly beat Jared Leto, even after the fight was over? When he gets back up, he pants:
"I wanted to destroy something beautiful."

I liked this book a lot, but something kept niggling at the back of my mind. I'm not exactly sure, since I've just finished it, but it might have something to do that the actions in the book were a bit too masculine to make me buy the main characters as female?

Don't know...need to think about it. Solid book for horror fans, though.

[Janie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always relish digging into a book by Edward Lorn. I know that I am going to instantly become acquainted with characters who are either pleasant or unsavory. The author knows how to make you despise a character, just as he closes the bond between the reader and a favorite character. We also love to hate his villains.

The author's writing style is inviting and straightforward, which makes getting lost in his books even easier. In The Sound of Broken Ribs, terrible things happen to people who begin as innocents. The story takes a path of revenge and retribution that is impossible to look away from. I tried to make the book last, but I was overly eager to reach the conclusion. This is a compelling narrative about the ways that tragedy and pain affect human behavior. There is also an ominous touch of the supernatural, which adds a sense of dread to the atmosphere. I would recommend this book to all horror enthusiasts.

I served as a beta reader when this book was being written. This in no way influenced my review. My memory is terrible, which made this practically a new read for me.

[Karl]

This edition of "The Sound of Broken Ribs" is the Deluxe Limited Edition of the book. published in December 2017 by Thunderstorm Books, and is Supercell #2 the book is limited to 44 signed copies of which this is copy 14, signed by Edward Lorn.

The book contains :

013 - The Sound of Broken Ribs
239 - Out of Sight, Out of Mind
243- Something Else

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Sound of Broken Ribs”

You better write one hell of a story just to live up to the title of this one. No worries.

E. nails it.

When Lei and Belinda’s lives crash together, they will be forever bonded to one another. Whether they like it or not. They will both know pain.

I absolutely loved everything about this one. The characters were so well drawn and realized, that I was immediately invested in their stories and immersed in the steadily growing sense of tension and dread.

And then it hit the fan. Big time.

Suppertime.

Edward Lorn’s crazy good storytelling is on full display here. His sense of dialog and pacing are spot on. There are even some nice laughs and several nods to Edwards previous work. Made me smile.

5 out of 5 Stars and my Highest Recommendation. This one is not to be missed.

"In the distance, the band played on."

*I received and advanced copy of this title from the author.

Note: As of June 1, 2017 - Thunderstorm Books has opened up the preorder purchase link for the Nightmare Alley edition, 55 copy, signed hardcover: http://thunderstormbooks.com/thunders... These bad boys are not going to be around very long, so you better get yours before they are gone. I got mine!

[Sjgomzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 *’s You do not want to be a character trapped in an Edward Lorn story. And don’t get too attached to anyone because Lorn will go-oh! You like this one-bang! Dead! Oh you think this one’s safe-bang! Dead! I loved the enormous unpredictability of it all. Every time I wrongfully thought I had a handle on where we were heading, the story would do a 360 and go off in new directions. Chock full of broken characters caught in crazy as shit situations digging themselves into deeper and deeper holes. Lorn mixes in some wicked ass humor in the midst of all the despair and I found myself laughing more than once at some pretty grim material. This was a hell of a page turner! I was already a fan after reading Fog Warning, and absolutely love Lorn’s style of throw everyone off the cliff-scorched earth brand of writing. Can’t wait to read more!

[Glen Krisch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm normally a painfully slow reader, but Lorn's new novel speeds along at a great clip, propelling the reader to keep turning pages. In a way, his writing reminds me of Richard Laymon and how his best writing trait was his pacing, but (don't hate me, Laymon fans) Lorn is a better writer. How so? His characters. They're fleshed out and REAL, even when they face ridiculous circumstances. In a way, his character development reminds me of King.

So, in short: Laymon's pacing + King's characters = Edward Lorn's new novel.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Any spoilers are hidden under a spoiler tag*
I just love a simple story told extremely well! The premise here is straightforward: a terrible car accident causes the lives of two very different women to tragically intersect, and author Edward Lorn has such a confident grasp of character, theme, pace, and the juggling of multiple viewpoints, that it became one of my most enjoyable reads this year. The characters of Lei Duncan and Belinda Walsh instantly grew familiar to me. I was invested in them from the first few pages and they will stay with me for a while even now that I've finished the book. Belinda Walsh in particular is handled very well; I loved the fact that the way I expected her to act after being introduced evolved subtly as I learned more about her character. At first I saw her as this clueless pushover, but by the end, I realized that she's much more aware and sharp than I expected in the beginning.

"But that's how insanity works. When you break, you don't hear the snap."

The reason I didn't give it 5-stars is because I'm not a fan of the kind of ending found here: it's the type of ending that Stephen King has done before in his work, that cops out a bit by focusing on a supernatural climax rather than one that pays off the emotional build-up. I feel it lessens the great character work that came before it. Instead of fully confronting the real emotional effect that the characters' actions would have, instead of them truly coming to terms with what they've done, it becomes a fight with a malevolent being. It was a near perfect read for me right up to that point. But it's really a personal preference and many others might love it. I've been learning to judge something based on what it is and what it sets out to do rather than what I want or expect. And what Lorn does here, he does it very well. It was one of the smoothest and quickest reads I've experienced this year.

[Tony Vacation · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lorn's latest is a tale of two women and their continent-spanning odyssey to inflict pain on one another. When Belinda Walsh's con artist husband abandons her to the mercy of collection agencies, she decides in a moment of madness to plow through a jogger and bloody the hood of her yellow car. Too bad it turns out that the nearly obliterated woman, Lei Duncan, is a local celebrity. And that she survives. Our pair of heroines--resourceful Leigh, a best-selling author of horror fiction, and cowardly Belinda, a house wife turned sleazy criminal--dominate nearly the entire narrative, with only a few passages lent to Lornography regular Jenna Wales (Bay's End, Fog Warning), the law woman investigating Lei's hit and run. While fast-paced, Lorn takes the time to delve into both of his characters' psyches, dredging from their pain a resonating meditation on human suffering and the tenuousness of innocence and forgiveness. Much of The Sound of Broken Ribs works as an offbeat noir reminiscent of Jim Thompson, but Lorn also lays an undercurrent of cosmic horror beneath the surface of the story, delivering an offbeat and original novel that managed to catch even this weathered reader off guard.

[Michael Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven’t read much of Edward Lorn’s work previously; just a few short stories and his recently-released DarkFuse novella, Fairy Lights. I knew of Bay’s End, but had never visited there previously. Still, when Lorn, who I follow and occasionally converse with on social media, offered up some ARCs for his latest, I jumped at the chance. I’ve liked what little I’ve read of his stuff well enough to want to check out more, and his publisher, Thunderstorm Books, approved me for an advanced copy of The Sound of Broken Ribs.

Right from the outset, I was gripped by this book. If life events didn’t so routinely rear their heads, I probably would have read this book in a single sitting. Having to spread it out over a few days, though, wasn’t a bad way to read it either, since it gave me time to savor the story and Lorn’s unique way with words.

Like myself, Lorn is a big fan of Stephen King and the horror master has certainly influenced both of our own authorial works. I don’t know if it’s meant to be a deliberate reflection on personal events that King himself dealt with, or if it’s simply where Lorn’s muse took him, but King’s hit and run accident seems to be a pretty clear, and pretty giant, influence on this book.

Lei is an author, and while out for her morning run, she gets struck by a car. The driver, Belinda, is a shattered woman – only moments before the accident, her husband deserted her, made off with all her money, and she’s just gotten an eviction notice. She’s eager to ruin somebody and spread the pain around, so when she sees a jogger on the side of the road, all she’s gotta do is nudge the wheel and…BAM! Lei barely survives, her body is mauled and mutilated, but her life is saved. She was at death’s door, though, right on the cusp, and she’s brought back a little something with her.

This story. Holy crap, this story. The medical aspects here, from Lei’s numerous and horrifying injuries to her painful recovery and hospital stay, are uncomfortably realistic. Lorn has a knack for making her pain vivid and intimate, and I caught myself squirming more than a few times. His attention to detail is on point in a number of instances, and there’s plenty of surprises throughout, which only served to further keep my eyeballs glued to my Kindle. Some of those surprises are as heartbreaking as they are shocking, and Lorn isn’t shy about dispatching cast members to further his story (something I really got an education on in his brutal Fairy Lights).

The Sound of Broken Ribs is both beautiful and bleak, oftentimes simultaneously. It’s also encouraged me to take another trip back to Bay’s End, and I’m planning on digging through Lorn’s earlier works at my earliest opportunity. I need to know what else I’ve been missing out on.

Preorder at: http://thunderstormbooks.com/thunders...

[Note: I received an advanced copy of this title from the author by approval from the publisher, Thunderstorm Books.]

[Angel Gelique · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars



Author Lei Duncan has the great misfortune of being in the right place at the right time when a distraught, newly-abandoned wife, Belinda Walsh, decides to share her misery. Badly injured and left for dead in a wooded area, Lei knows that she's in rough shape. Her body is shattered and her ravaged chest rattles like a set of maracas.

"Call her one-woman band 'The Sound of Broken Ribs.'"

As she awaits death, something else arrives--something dark and menacing that won't be leaving Lei any time soon....

I appreciate when an author is able to stir my imagination and take it soaring to new, uncharted places. I was completely immersed in the story. As always, Lorn does an exceptional job developing his characters. I found myself first pitying Belinda then loathing her reprehensible conduct. I felt terrible for everything Lei had to go through but she didn't consistently have my sympathy (even though I can't say that I would have felt/acted differently under like circumstances).

With such brilliant writing, humor, graphic descriptions and an intriguing plot, you simply can't go wrong with this book.

One more note--
The Ebony One fascinated me and I was thrilled to see its connection to the wildly imaginative creatures in the Cruelty: Episodes One-Five series.
"I am Pain. I have many kin. Cruelty and Regret and the Bastard… many others."

[exorcismemily · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Sound of Broken Ribs is the second book set in Bay's End. You do not have to read Bay's End to understand this book, but you should - it's a good book, and there are some repeat characters / casually mentioned storylines.

I really enjoyed Bay's End, but I liked The Sound of Broken Ribs even more - I personally prefer adult characters for the most part. This book was dark, addicting, gruesome at times, and deeper than I expected. I liked Lei and Jenna (who I also liked in Bay's End), and even though Belinda is the absolute worst, she even has some mildly likable moments. For a book that is under 300 pages, the characters are surprisingly layered.

The book has a paranormal / horror element, but it's not the main plot of the book. I could have used a little more of the paranormal part, and possibly more detail about it, but this did not take away any love I have for the book.

I highly recommend picking up both Bay's End and The Sound of Broken Ribs! I'm excited to see what else Edward writes! Bay's End is one messed up town, and I would always be interested in seeing what other darkness happens there.

[Irene Well Worth A Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never read an Edward Lorn that I didn't enjoy. There are very few authors I can say that about.
The Sound Of Broken Ribs is as twisted as it's title. I'm not sure there's a lot I can say without giving away too much plot so I will stick with how it made me feel, because for me the best books are those that make you feel something.
For the briefest moment I felt sympathy for Belinda who had just had her ordinary hum drum life ripped out from under her, and then BAM I spent the rest of the book wanting to beat her to a pulp for making me feel sorry for her. Lets face it, lots of us have at some point been screwed over by a man we expected to live happily ever after with, but we didn't pull a Belinda.
The depth and scope of Lei's pain literally made my heart hurt. The suspense of not knowing for sure whether there were supernatural elements afoot or who would survive to the end kept me up turning pages until long past my bedtime. The ending was spectacular.

[Terri Harrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of two women. Lei has it all:a devoted husband, success in her career as an author and all that comes with a good life. Belinda is dealing with the fact that her husband has not paid the rent in months, has cleaned out their bank accounts and has left her penniless without a home. Their lives collide when Belinda, behind the wheel of her car, emotionally distraught, wants to harm someone else to make them feel her pain. She happens upon her victim when Lei is out jogging. Belinda hits Lei with her car and leaves her for dead. That is when a dark figure creeps into Lei's life and into Lei, herself. The story then follows both women, with Belinda's descent into madness and Lei's horrifying pain.
I feel in telling more that I will give too much away. The Sound of Broken Ribs grabbed me immediately and brought me into a story both horrifying in its' simplicity and terrifying when the supernatural takes over.
I loved the many characters that drifted into the lives of both women. Their diversity added to the feeling of reality that works throughout this story. The Sound of Broken Ribs easily scores 5 out of 5 stars! A fast paced and terrifying ride with a horrific ending that left me breathless.

[Levi Walls · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ho-leee fuck. What the fuck. While reading this book I felt like Rocco in Boondock Saints. I just kept picking my jaw up off the floor and saying, "What the fuck, how the fuck, OOOH Jesus fuck, did that really just happen?" The events and characters in this book are mind-bogglingly outrageous, in a crazy good way. As evidenced in his short story Crawl, Lorn once again shows us that he is abso-fuckin-lutely great at showing us tragedy and terror in his characters in a disturbingly descriptive way. This book was a page turner from beginning to end. I couldn't put it down. I didn't want to look, but I couldn't look away. I would recommend it to any fan of the genre. Anyone else, you might want to stick to those books about turtles going down or some shit like that 😂(I am not discriminating, I love all genres, but some people don't belong in Lorn's wide world of what the fuck 😜)

Overall, the only thing that didn't really click for me was the ending. The experience was like Rob Zombie was single for a long time and then had sex with Rod Serling and they had a weird little baby. It didn't do it for me, but that's okay. The rest of the book was an amazingly wild ride. And I give points for originality. Overall 3.5 to 4 stars. Bravo Lorn, you sick bastard!

[Jeremy Hepler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first time I read Lorn's work, and I'll definitely come back for more. The plot was well-paced, and although some of the characters seemed a little over-the-top in their reactions to me, they were drawn out and developed very well. Lorn's writing style is straight forward, succinct, and pulled me into the story right away. Overall, The Sound of Broken Ribs was an engaging, gritty, fun read.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started and finished this book in one day, and it was so freaking good. Review to come.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had no idea what I was getting into, The Sound of Broken Ribs is fucking vicious and fast-paced! It was enjoyable like every horror novel should be.

[Laertes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edward Lorn's 'The Sound Of Broken Ribs' is what I call a good novel. It has everything I expect from it. (The following text might contain mild spoilers. You have been warned. And pardon me for my bad style - I am not an english-speaking native, just trying my best.)

The characters - especially the main characters and the most important side characters - are fleshed out enough to make their actions and motivations not only believable, but also identifiable. The short flashbacks into their past, the biographical anecdotes, explain why they are what they are and why they do what they do. And although there is a clear distinction between the protagonist and the antagonist (or, if I might say so, the hero and the villain), the latter gets closer to you than you wish. The constant switch between their perspectives helps seeing the whole picture, the grey areas between the black and the white - and what they have in common, how one incident changed and shaped their lifes.

The dialogues sound authentic and real. And often funny.

The social commentary is always on point and never seems ham-fisted or exaggerated.

There is not a single word lost on redundance or repetition. And this is one of the strongest attributes of the whole novel: everything goes as fast as it should go. I have read my fair share of otherwise good, but unfortunately bloated novels - that diminished my enjoyment significantly. Not so with Mr Lorn: His pace is almost breathtaking. But just almost, because there are those moments of inner dialogue and reflection that give both the characters and the plot room to breathe and to develop.

The descriptions both of brutality and sexuality are no holds barred authentic and feel always real, sometimes to a point so unbearable that I had to put the book down for a moment.

Last not least, I found the plot and its development highly original. It's basically a revenge-story, but actually it's so much more than that. I was especially intrigued by the 'monster' and how it was (figuratively and literally) interwoven into the protagonist's healing process. Even the grand finale is as grand as it gets - but in contrary to so many other authors, Lorn stays focused and on point and doesn't bore the reader with endless dialogues or monologues.

All in all, with this novel I had a similar feeling to what I felt after reading J. Kent Messum's wonderful 'Husk': It holds everything it promises, is concise, both character- and plot-driven, and it feels genuinely fresh. That's why it deserves no less than four stars.

I am really looking forward for more from this author!

[The Behrg · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's been a plague lately, in my opinion, of great authors striving for subtlety in their writing. Taking a premise and, rather than allowing it to grow into something monstrous and completely unique, trimming it back so that you barely see the buds where there could have been roses. Or thorns. Big nasty thorns. I understand the reasoning behind it, in trying to make their work less fantastical, but I often disagree with the end results, left wanting more.

"The Sound of Broken Ribs" by Edward Lorn is the first book I've read that nails this concept. There's a maturity here to Lorn's writing that I haven't seen before -- and I consider myself a fan of his work. But while he lets this dark tale grow its wings he also doesn't inflate them into balloons that fizzle and go flying around the room before petering out. Writing requires incredible balance, allowing your imagination to run wild while also pulling it back before it becomes unmanageable and ruins your story. I kept waiting for this to derail but Lorn rides that razor's edge the entire story, teasing the fantastic while keeping you grounded.

And man, are there some big nasty thorns.

Breathing, flawed characters you come to sympathize with and a perfect balance of moments that make you cringe and others that will make your jaw drop, this is on my top 5 list for sure so far for the year. The premise may be simple, but the execution is what makes this book sing. Hats off E on a great story well told.

[Michael Louis Dixon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Based on all the other reviews, I was looking forward to reading this. The Extreme Horror subgenre is full of excellent work by some amazing talent--Wrath James White, Edward Lee, Jack Ketchum, and J.F. Gonzalez to name a few. In my opinion, Edward Lorn's THE SOUND OF BROKEN BONES does not measure up. While his skill at writing is acceptable, it's the two dimensional characters that weaken the story. Motivations are so stretched that they read as random and unbelievable. To me, and I remind you that this is only my opinion, the issues of misogyny and homophobia feel shoe-horned in. The power of these topics in our culture is worth exploring, show us in an unflinching eye the true horror of these extreme examples of hate, but here in this book they feel leveraged solely for shock value and with zero substantive purpose. I don't mind characters that I feel loathing for, that make me mad at how awful they are as human beings, but you lose me when their actions stem from ludicrous motivations and ham-fisted plotting. I found myself having a difficult time picking the book up once I'd set it down. Each time I started back in, I'd soon be rolling my eyes again. Well, at least I finally powered through it.

MLD

[lee_readsbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I initially wanted to read this book purely because it has Edward Lorn's name on it. E fan or not this is a book definitely worth a read!
I'm no writer but I could relate to Lei Duncan's character as when I was younger I was the innocent party when my life collided with anothers and it truely changed our lives.
This is a story I just couldn't put down. I'm a reader of many genres and usually easily pleased when it comes to books. This one way exceeded my expectations. All the characters personalities had been thought out perfectly and no two were alike. As chillingly gruesome as the book was there were aslo some laughs to lighten the story.
Totally unexpected ending for me, gruesome, spontaneous and all round well told.
If anyone is as curious as myself about how gay men were portrayed in this book, I thought I'd ask the man himself. Edward Lorn told me it's purely just the characters views and not his own.
Five star book most definitely.

[sher]

THE TITLE!!! THE DESCRIPTION!!!!

I've never had a title cause such a deep unsettling feeling before??? And this?? THIS SOUNDS SO GOOD WHAAAT

[Don Gillette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, this was one helluva ride--and most disturbing on a visceral level.
The writing was quick, the characters were instantly identifiable, and the concept wasn't shoved down the reader's throat; rather, it remained throughout the book almost subliminally.
Lorn has an ear not only for dialogue, but for alliterative prose. Example:
"A great creaking cacophony of chaotic shifting. A noise so deep and dissonant..."
How about that, huh? Almost poetic in its impact and every occurrence seems to be almost perfectly placed for the greatest emphatic shock.
The most memorable, and perhaps the most disconcerting portions of The Sound of Broken Ribs were the intense, realistic, almost passionate descriptions of physical damage and pain suffered by some characters. These passages were so vividly written that I confess to dropping a Xanax at 3AM on my first night of reading just to turn my brain off so I could sleep.
No, it's not a perfect book; very few novels are. There were a few incongruities, inaccuracies, and syntax errors, but you'd be hard-pressed to read a novel without finding some of those and to be fair, not every reader (or writer) is an English professor--wouldn't it be boring if that was the case?
The Sound of Broken Ribs is a terrific book by an author I expect to hear a lot more from in the future. Edward Lorn is a phenomenal raw talent and I'd recommend this book highly.

[Christopher Lambert · Rating 4 out of 5]

No one is safe

I just finished The Sound of Broken Bones and all I can say is wow. When I first read the synopsis of the story I thought it was very interesting in the least. Then after I began to read and when the two women's life's collided together I just couldn't stop. The story is that of two peoples lifes affected by the same incident and is told by switching between both of their view points. At first I thought it would be hard for the story to flow with such an angle but I was wrong. The ending had me guessing and wanting more. It was a very pleasant read by horror standards and I would definitely recommend it.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh god so many angry narcissistic unbearably awful characters, I hated this up to the third part which was fantastic and like a completely different book!

Edit:
I've upped my review to four stars because I can't stop thinking about that ending, I don't suppose I was meant to like the charcters which means the author did a damn good job. But that ending is haunting me.... It's terrifying and just the whole idea behind it is so freaking scary.

[antony adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

my first book of the year and is going to take some beating

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel my stars may not totally reflect how much I did like this book and I intend to read more from Edward Lorn but for me a few things knocked this down. I’ll start with the positives first ... I loved the character of Lei. I loved the swift and unwavering killing of (a lot!) of characters. I loved the development of all the characters (even the awful ones). I read this pretty quickly! But for me the supernatural element just didn’t fit well the way it was written. And that made me knock it down a star. I have no problem adding a big weird malevolent force to a horror novel but I needed more from it. It was simply a thing that attaches itself to pain and Lei being in the worst pain possible and left for dead, she became the vessel? Okay I get that. But how much was she aware of this as all this time went by? Did she know or expect it to emerge from her? If she hadn’t been killed would it have killed her to get out and wreak havoc? What did her book called The Ebony One actually reveal? Did Harry read that book and finally understand what he saw at the Cabin? I just personally don’t like books that wrap up a whole personal human revenge plot line with a big and swiftly done supernatural ending (the giant spider at the end of IT still torques me up and I love King). Then, there were also a distractingly large amount of glaring typos and grammar mistakes and that made me take off another star. When I have to read a simple sentence two or three times to say “what the what?” it takes me out of my reading groove. I actually gave my book a good look over at the end to see if I had an ARC and didn’t know it. Nope. At any rate, I know there is more story to be consumed about Bays End and I’ll be snatching up those eventually!

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started out well and hooked me at the beginning. Very interesting premise of how two women’s lives intersect when “temporary insanity” overtakes one, resulting in tragedy for the other. I was hoping to be able to rate this much higher, as I enjoy supporting up-and-coming, lesser known authors. Alas, it was not to be.

Early in, I realized the character development was subpar. Everyone was very two-dimensional. I did not connect with any of the characters on any kind of real level. The author, who is obviously VERY heavily influenced by Stephen King, makes his political beliefs very well known, especially when he makes the villain watch Fox News throughout the story and talk about her hatred of Obama. Additionally, at 299 pages, the author manages to cram in all these hot-button issues: racism, sexism, misogyny, violence against women, ableism, homophobia (even going so far as to place several incidental homophobic characters in Los Angeles throughout different parts of the story), transgenderism, gun control, atheism, and income inequality. The race of every individual in the book is pointed out almost obsessively. Characters go on diatribes against Wal-Mart and Anne Coulter. It’s all very bizarre. WAY too preachy. I must have rolled my eyes a hundred times.

There were some twists in the book, one that happened earlier on in the story that had me genuinely surprised, but the ending was very quickly tossed together and fell flat. There were also quite a few grammatical errors throughout.

Still, the book has many 4/5 star reviews, so I am clearly in the minority here. I wish the author luck in his future endeavors.